


Night Terrors

by Alexz6



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Nightmares, References to Child Abuse, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 19:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20587847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexz6/pseuds/Alexz6
Summary: Natasha has a nightmare.





	Night Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> another from twitter user @ hotsmulders 's CC. She threw me a prompt and I gave it a shot

TERROR IN THE NIGHT

—

Maria wakes up because Natasha is having a nightmare. Or at least that’s what she thinks it is. The woman is almost preternaturally still. Maria knows about not waking up a person in the fit of a nightmare, but the dangers are doubly high when that person is an assassin. The redhead liked to sleep in when she wasn’t on assignment and more than once Maria had ended up facing down a barrel of a gun because she had wanted to say goodbye before leaving.

They’re new to spending the night together. Both are fiercely independent women and hadn’t been ones to keep bedfellows around once their needs had been met, but this wasn’t the first time they’d shared a bed either. Usually they’d tire one another out pretty thoroughly. Maria may not be a genetically enhanced Russian ballerina assassin, but she was a military-trained SHIELD agent and had stamina of her own to spare.

On those nights they pretended were accidental sleepovers, Natasha had always been relaxed, one arm tossed up towards the headboard carelessly whether on her back or her stomach, the other arm tossed either across her own belly, or curling around Maria’s abs, leg tossed over the soldier’s hips, pulling her close. The Widow’s nighttime clinginess was also never to be acknowledged during waking hours.

What’s happening now is very much not that. The redhead still has an arm tossed above her head, but now her fingers are curled tightly around a post, arm stretched taught. Her body is jackknifed, right arm tight at her side, legs pressed together and toes pointed. She’s so still, Maria doesn’t even think she’s breathing.

That’s what spurs her into action. She leans carefully near the assassin, head turned to see if her ear can catch a sound of breath. When she doesn’t hear even a whisper of it, Maria curses, “Shit.”

She pushes the sheets away, and tucks the loose lock of her short hair back behind her ear. Blue eyes scan the surrounding area for weapons, though she knows it’s not going to matter. Knives are also a prominent threat to anyone trying wake up the little spider. …well, that and their occasional knife-play accessories getting lost in the sheets, only being found when it poked one of them later.

She tilts her head back and exhales. Then she moves. Hand to one of Natasha’s wrist, lest it come in for an attack. Carefully she tries to nudge herself behind or under Natasha’s body, thinking it’ll giver an advantage, and then she calls to her. “Natasha, can you hear me? I need you to take a breath.”

The redhead remains unresponsive.

“Fuck.” Maria adjusts again. This time she accompanies her call with a forceful nudge, hoping to startle the other woman awake. “Natasha, I need you to breathe.”

Nothing. Finally, she decided to do something drastic. Trying to keep the one arm available pinned, Maria gets into the Heimlich position and pumps, hard, hoping to force a breath. And thankfully gets results. Natasha gasps, bringing her hand down, to grip tight onto one of Maria’s wrists, the other going to claw at her one of the thighs bracketing her on either side.

Hearing a hiss behind her, Natasha thrashes to see her captor. Maria’s always calm under pressure voice finally broke through the haze, “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Natasha takes a gasping breath and finally let’s her body relax as her eyes register Maria’s sharp features over her shoulder. She let’s her head fall onto the taller woman’s shoulder. Maria’s own tight grip loosens then, and her hands drop to wrap softly around Natasha’s waist. “You’re okay.”

The two sit in silence for a moment, just breathing together.

Then Maria clears her throat lightly. “Listen. Um, I know we don’t do this. We don’t really…talk about what we’re doing. Neither of is really the talk it out type. But, if you want to…I don’t mind.”

Facing forward, Natasha smiles a bit. “Oh, yeah?”

“I mean, not if you’re gonna make a thing about it.” Maria tosses out, trying to seem casual. “But yeah.”

Natasha let’s her smile drop then. She’s been enjoying what they’ve been doing together. Maria is all sinewy muscles and has a competitive drive that allows her to keep up even during their more…acrobatic ventures. She also knows Hill has her own fair share of fucked up memories in her own past. It’s what made them so compatible. She’d never admit it, but she hasn’t been seeking out other partners to scratch her itches since their first throw-down turned sex marathon session. She’s understandably reluctant to change their current dynamic.

But then, maybe whatever they have is already changed? She’s never spent the night with previous partners. She’d never stand to be held like this. Maria isn’t even pushing right now, just gently supporting her, holding her up (literally as well).

So she opens up, “It’s—back in the—” She sighs.

“You don’t have to,” Maria softly offered.

“No, it’s okay.” Natasha takes a breath and starts again. “When we were in the Red Room, a lot of the girl, a lot of _us_, would try to run away, at first. We we’re handcuffed to our bunks at night.”

“The arm…” Maria breathes out. Her own hand comes up to massage one of Natasha’s biceps.

“What?” Natasha’s brow furrows.

Maria squeezes a little bit, “You sleep with one arm up.”

Natasha snorts, “Okay, _Cullen._ Enjoy watching people sleeping, do you?”

Maria groans, “Okay, you can’t even poke fun right now when _you’re_ the one making references to cringe-worthy teen dramas.”

Natasha laughs for real this time. She’s grateful this devolved so quickly into their normal banter. Natasha tilts her head back and places a painful nip on the brunette’s jawline. All of this eased the knot in her chest, and she chose to continue. “Yeah, so, they also sometimes liked to run drills. Things to make sure we were ready and resistant to any and all interrogation. Surprise drills weren’t unusual. Surprise waterboarding, not fun when you’re on the receiving end.”

She can FEEL Maria’s frowny face behind her, and she rolls her eyes.

Maria is still processing this when she feels it. At first she thinks it’s just the tiny assassin adjusting her position, but then she hears the shifty rustling of the gym shorts she’d pulled out for her guest to borrow as PJs and rolls her eyes. “Nat, really?”

“What?” Natasha grins impishly, her hand reappearing from under the covers SHE was still under. “Since we’re up already, I figured we could get our morning, uh, _workout_ in together. What do you say, _baby_?”

The brunette tosses her head back and grunts, “Ugh, shut up. I thought you were dying or something. Do you have any idea what kind of paperwork shit storm I’d be dealing with if you died in my bed?”

Natasha’s still smiling too widely for the soldier’s tastes, as she turns around, straddling the woman on the pillows. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Maria’s eyes follow Natasha’s hands as she pulls the tank top up and over, and then her gaze is free to drink in the perfectly sculpted body of the most dangerous woman on the planet. “You don’t, huh?”

“Nuh-uh,” Natasha shakes her head, red waves cascading attractively around her shoulders. “Now, get naked and play with me.”

New York city was barely waking up by the time that SHIELD’s Assistant Director was making _the_ Black Widow break just as the sun rose over New York City.

**Author's Note:**

> Still can't bring myself to write actual smut though, sorry. Not beta'd again.


End file.
